Saturday Night Livereturned from its hiatus with a tribute to Ukraine amidRussia’s military assaulton the country.
Instead of a cold open sketch, cast membersKate McKinnonandCecily Strongintroduced the Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York, who sang “Prayer for Ukraine” in front of the live audience in Studio 8H.
The choir performed in front of a table full of candles that spelled out “Kyiv,” the Ukrainian capital. McKinnon and Strong, both 38, then returned to the stage and said the show’s signature catchphrase: “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night.”
Russia began an invasion of Ukraine earlier this week, according to the Ukraine government, with forces moving from the north, east and south. The attack is still-evolving but explosions and airstrikes have been reported, with threats mounting against Kyiv, a city of 2.8 million people.
John Mulaney on SNL.Will Heath/NBC
In his subsequent monologue,John Mulaney, who officially earned his place inSNL’s elitefive-timers club, addressed his past drug use and stint in rehab, as he marked his fifth time taking on the hosting duties.
“For many, many reasons, I’m grateful to be here tonight after a very complicated year. It is wonderful to be in a place that’s always emphasized sobriety and mental health,” the comedian, 39, quipped.
“Since I last hosted, different things have happened,” Mulaney continued. “In December of 2020, I went to dinner at a friend’s apartment, but it was not dinner. It was an intervention. For me — my least favorite kind of intervention.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
He added, “When I walked into my intervention, I knew right away that it was an intervention. Do you know how bad of a drug problem you have to have, if when you open a door and see people gathered, your first thought is, ‘This is probably an intervention about my drug problem?'”
Mulaney also mentioned his son,Malcolm Hiệp, whom he welcomed withOlivia Munnin November.
“Life is a lot better and happier now,” he said. “I have a 12-week-old son. … He is a pretty cool guy for someone who can’t vote. His legs are like little calzones, and I want to eat him.”
Mulaney continued, “He just looks up at the light and … he was annoyed. But he didn’t say anything. I was like, ‘That’s my son.’ A polite man in an uncomfortable situation, but he’s not going to make a fuss.”
john mulaney/instagram
Mulaney, who is a formerSNLwriter, previously hosted on April 14, 2018; March 2, 2019; Feb. 29, 2020; and Oct. 31, 2020. With his fifth appearance as host, he joins otherSNLfive-timers, includingTina Fey,Alec Baldwin,Tom Hanks,Steve Martin, Scarlett Johansson andPaul Rudd.
To celebrate his fifth appearance, Mulaneyshareda tweet from theSNLTwitter account announcing his gig. He captioned the image, “And just like that…”
source: people.com
